Goulburn Valley co-coach Mark Lambourn has highlighted the league's passionate rivalry against the Ovens and Murray by declaring his players wouldn't have the same interest if it was anyone else.
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If any O and M players were unaware of the 94-year-old background between two of country football's power leagues, Lambourn's honesty will add another level to the interleague clash at Shepparton's Deakin Reserve on Saturday.
"The boys certainly talk about it at training, a few that I'd spoken to early in the peace about being involved, that was why they want to be involved," Lambourn stated.
"I get the feeling that if we were playing Ballarat, Bendigo or Gippsland, I don't know if we would have the same buy-in, but because it's the Ovens and Murray, absolutely the boys are passionate about wanting to play them."
The leagues first met in 1930 and the O and M has a 17-10 advantage.
The GV's last win was in 2010 with the Border outfit winning the last three in 2017, 2022 and last year's seven-point thriller.
Bryce Stephenson was one of the visitors' best at Albury Sportsground, while last year's Murray Bushrangers' vice-captain Coby James played for North Melbourne VFL against Essendon last week.
"I couldn't be happier with the buy-in of the guys, they're committed and want to play," Lambourn added.
"We use Premier Data and if you go and look at the stats, they're all very much in form."
But Lambourn says the team is position-specific.
"To be honest, if you want in-form players, you're probably picking 15 midfielders, we've gone, 'no, no, we need the best back pocket player, the best half-back flanker and so on', and we feel we've got the best players in those positions," he explained.
O and M coach Damian Sexton is also delighted with his unit.
"We've got great leaders in Harry Wheeler and Charlie Morrison, plus Brodie Filo and Tom Boyd, they stand out and they're passionate about it," he offered.
"Matt Wilson came in a week ago and his last two games have been enormous for Wodonga, Zac Pethybridge's closing speed is enormous and is there anyone quicker than Archie Gardiner?"
There's five games of football and netball, with the under 15s netball from 11.15am, with the under 18s football (midday), under 17s netball (12.45pm), senior football (2.15pm) and senior netball (2.30pm) to follow.
